To save money when the pool company closes our pool, I always lower the water level to a few inches below the skimmers. Our pump is HIGHER than our pool, so it take a while on start-up to prime, and I'm wondering if it's also why we CANNOT figure out a way to remove enough water using the pump without it losing prime. As soon as the water no longer covers the opening inside the skimmers, our pump loses prime. Even if I close the skimmer valves and only keep the bottom main drain valve open, it doesn't draw enough water to keep the pump filled. We always end up removing 3-4 inches with a sump pump and garden hose. That's fine in normal years, but this year, the pool company is coming November 1, and I need at least 12 hours to drain the pool with a hose, so on Halloween night I will be removing the last few inches. It is supposed to be 26 degrees that night, I can't run the pump because the water is too low, and I can't wait until the morning to drain the pool because there is no time. What am I doing wrong when trying to drain the pool using the pump? Is it dangerous to have the pump turned off on a night when the temperature is 26 degrees?